Report: Tough Times Far from Over for States

Report: Tough Times Far from Over for States

by

Paul Davenport

States of emergencies. The deepest economic downturn in 70 years, job losses and high home foreclosure rates have led to a sharp drop in tax revenue flowing to local and state governments, leaving agencies with spending commitments they can no longer afford.

PHOENIX -- Lawmakers have reduced spending for parks, health care for
low-income children and some state-funded medical transplants. Still,
the tough times are far from over.

A report by the National Conference of State Legislatures to be released
Wednesday says the fiscal crisis reshaping the level of services that
government can deliver is likely to last at least another three years
for many states.

The report did offer a glimmer of good news: State economies are improving, and so are tax revenues.

And yet, modest gains in tax revenue will not be enough to help most
states' budgets in the coming fiscal year. And that means more pain for
those who depend on state programs, from schools to public
transportation.

"It just poses these excruciatingly difficult decisions," said Corina Eckl, the organization's director of fiscal programs.

The deepest economic downturn in 70 years, job losses and high home
foreclosure rates have led to a sharp drop in tax revenue flowing to
local and state governments, leaving agencies with spending commitments
they can no longer afford.

So far, budget gaps totaling $26.7 billion are anticipated for 15
states, the report said. The other 35 states do not project a gap, so
far, for their current budgets, NCSL said.

Last time around, states closed a cumulative $83.9 billion deficit. For
many, it was their third or even fourth year of shortfalls.

States have been able to make up the shortfalls with a combination of
federal aid, including stimulus funds, borrowing, selling assets,
raiding special funds and cuts in such services as day care subsidies
and police.

But opportunities to repeat those strategies are getting harder to find.

That prospect has some legislators, even Republicans, discussing tax increases.

"There's only so much you can cut before you get to what I call
essential services that need to be provided by the state," said state
Sen. Bill Raggio, a Reno, Nev., Republican whose 28-year tenure makes
him the longest-serving legislator in state history.

Nevada, which leads the nation in unemployment, bankruptcies and
foreclosures, is projected to have a shortfall between $1.1 billion and
$3 billion, depending on what level of services that lawmakers want the
state to provide.

They met in February in a special session to close an $800 million gap,
in part, by draining reserve accounts and increasing fees, such as the
cost for banks to file foreclosure paperwork with the state.

In addition to Nevada, states such as Illinois have projected shortfalls of more than 30 percent of their general funds.

Spending restraint has helped such states as Missouri avoid shortfalls
in the current fiscal year, according to the report, based on the
revenue and spending in every state and Puerto Rico.

States projecting shortfalls of 20 percent or greater in the 2012 fiscal
years include New Jersey (26 percent) and North Carolina (20.3
percent), while Illinois' midyear gap in its current budget tops the
list at a projected 47 percent of its general fund.

Illinois carried nearly $6.5 billion in unpaid bills into the fiscal
year that began in July. The state's pension funds, which have nearly
$80 billion in unfunded liabilities, are owed at least $3.7 billion this
year.

Lawmakers are reluctant to cut spending or services, and the state's flat income tax rate hasn't been increased in 20 years.

"It's going to take cuts in areas that have not traditionally been cut -
you can't do it with just an income tax increase - and then some
strategic borrowing," Democrat Rep. Frank Mautino said.

"And we need help from the general economy, but that's not coming for another year or so," he said.

In Arizona, the state has a 9.7 percent shortfall projected in the
current fiscal year and a 14.7 percent gap in the next one. The state
has so far cut around the edges of public school funding by suspending
aid for maintenance, halving funding for kindergarten and slashing money
to buy of computers, textbooks and other equipment.

"It's never been anywhere close to the difficulty that we're apparently
facing," said Chuck Essigs, a school finance expert for an Arizona
association of school business officials.

Funding for some transplants through the state's Medicaid program ended Oct. 1 under a budget cut approved earlier this year. Gov. Jan Brewer said the state can't afford to maintain its current program and its previous services.

Democrat lawmakers on Tuesday called on Brewer to restore funding to the program.

"This "Brewercare" has set up real death panels here in Arizona and it
is outrageous and disgusting," said Rep. Anna Tovar, who had bone marrow
transplants in 2001 and 2002 to treat leukemia.

In California, the projected shortfall in the current fiscal year and
the next one is expected to grow to $25.4 billion, equivalent to nearly
30 percent of the current $86.6 billion general spending plan.

California's 2009 cash shortage forced the state to issue IOUs, furlough
tens of thousands of state workers and impose temporary tax increases.
Service cuts included trimming health care for the poor. They also
raided local government funds.

"Transforming California thoughtfully and responsibly will take longer
than the 28 days Governor (Arnold) Schwarzenegger has left in office.
Hasty action now could have devastating impacts," said Assemblyman Bob
Blumenfield, chair of budget committee.

The report said most legislative budget directors say the revenue
outlook in their states is stable, a turnaround from a year ago when
just four provided that assessment. Meanwhile, directors in 17 states
voiced concern, down from 30 a year ago.

Other states, especially those rich in natural resources, have weathered the recession reasonably well.

In West Virginia, for example, the revenue is 8.2 percent above
projection, led by increased severance taxes on coal and other extracted
natural resources . State officials also credit a multiyear effort to
resist growth of the Medicaid program.

"In recent times, when the national economy was strong and revenues were
up, West Virginia did not create new programs," said acting Gov. Earl
Ray Tomblin. "We are able to continue to pay our bills, while keeping
our budget stable."

Further

In further proof U.S. cops are out of control - cue LAPD killing a homeless man - comes Cleveland's WTF response to a lawsuit by the family of Tamir Rice, shot dead in a park for playing with a toy gun. His death, says the city, was "directly and proximately caused by (his) failure to exercise due care to avoid injury.” To wit: He's to blame for his own murder because he didn't understand he was in the wrong body. The kind that gets shot - the black kind.